With the recent inauguration and the outbreak of protests throughout the nation, celebrities have become more apart of the political world than ever before — but they cannot be trusted completely.

Meryl Streep, Madonna, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Katy Perry, Miley Cryus and America Ferrera are all celebrities that have taken part in recent protests and taking political sides. With a large audience and influence these celebrities have taken advantage of their platforms to publically state their political opinions and show support for their sides.

At the recent Women’s March in Washington DC, singer-songwriter Madonna stood on a podium to express her feelings on the political change in the country and the Trump presidency. According to NY Daily News, Madonna delivered a controversial speech which included a statement about “blowing up the White House.” In the past, celebrity involvement was relatively positive but with comments like these, involvement can get out of hand.

Members of the younger generation involve themselves in politics through social media and those who they choose to follow. This information is extremely accessible and not always reliable. According to Pew Research Center 35 percent of people ages 18 to 29 said their most helpful source of information about the 2016 presidential election came from social media. When a person is constantly seeing a celebrity’s opinions and actions, their opinions can become extremely influential in either negative or positive ways.

In the past, celebrities have provided positive political support by standing behind certain political sides, but in light of recent legislation, this involvement has taken a negative turn. Although freedom of speech is an important right for everyone, including celebrities, it is important to acknowledge that what they chose to publish may not always be credible. With the rising platforms of celebrity opinions it is important for people to consult a variety of sources before making conclusions.

When looking for leadership in political situations and decisions it is beneficial to have role models. However, for a person to fully create an understanding on an issue, it is important to find information on their own and draw their personal conclusions. Once a person has created their personal opinion they can then chose to stand behind a political figure or celebrity that mirrors their political stance.